Thanks for stopping by Refresh with Dawn Herring. I hope you enjoy browsing through the postings and get to know me a bit better.
I'm Dawn Herring, host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition for all things journaling on Twitter and Facebook. I'm also a writer and artist focused on refreshment, journaling, and positive change. Email me at refreshwithdawnherring@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy your stay!

Monday, January 28, 2013

nourish v. 1. to keep alive and well by means of food 2. to foster or cherish

source n. 1. the place from which something comes or is obtained 2. the starting point of a river 3. a person or book, etc, supplying information

Nourishment is a natural need and requirement of the human body, of plant life, of animal life, etc. No living thing can be without nourishment for very long.

When we don't have it, we whither, wear out, become depleted and even sick if the nourishment is withheld long enough. Or if we simply don't partake of it when we need it. Which we may do simply because we don't realize its necessity until we feel the consequence of what we don't have but should.

This can be the case when it comes to spiritual and emotional nourishment.

When we put ourselves out for the benefit of others but don't replenish what has been depleted, the quality of our life experience drops and we are left feeling out of sorts, exhausted and frustrated.

We need to replenish what has been lost. We need a source of nourishment in our lives that gives us energy, vitality, and a greater sense of well being.

But when do you know when you have discovered a nourishing source in your life? How do you know when something will refill your well, inspire you to creative tasks, give you the inner purpose of taking care of your responsibilities?

When you find a place, an activity, a pleasure--maybe even from childhood--that helps bring you back to center.

A nourishing source is going to provide you with light--the kind of light a plant depends upon, so much so, that it will grow toward the sun, pressing up against the window if need be to derive what it needs from that light.

When what you engage in provides you with light for your goals, for your activities, for your dreams, you know you have found nourishment, a place where you can feed yourself until you are fully centered and ready to walk in your purpose.

A nourishing source will provide nutrients--the kind of substance that enables a plant to grow and develop into a beautiful spreading bough with gorgeous leaves and bountiful blooms, drawing pleasure to the viewer.

When what you engage in provides you with nutrients for your creativity, problem solving and intuition, this can be an empowered place of peace--where you naturally move in flow with your gifts, talents, and calling.

A nourishing source is going to provide you with moisture--the kind of water source that can imbue a plant with what it needs so that it doesn't dehydrate and lose sustenance, keeping it lively and healthy, where it gives off the beauty and bounty it is meant to produce.

When what you engage in provides you with the Living Water of nourishment for your mind, body, and soul, you will feel lifted up, filled up to the brim with peace, joy, and purpose, the way you are meant to experience life at its fullest and best.

Yes, nourishment is vitally important to our well being in all of life's dimensions. Be sure to take the time for nourishing discovery, not leaving a intuitive stone unturned, always following your heart with what treasure lies within.

And when you find it, what gives you all you need for sustenance, energy, and personal empowerment, go to it often as if it were a beautiful plant just waiting to release its delicious scent for just your pleasure and delight. Because that is what your nourishing source is there for.

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help

motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.

I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,

whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.

As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your

daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has

space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.

Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if

you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.

Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.

I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to

yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

A 21 Day Refresh Intensive E-Course!

Dawn is now offering a 21 Day Refresh Intensive Course that enables you to Activate Your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages. It is available for purchase as a downloadable PDF so you can take it any time for your refreshment!

About Me

Dawn is a watercolor and collage artist, writer, Host of #JournalChat Live and Creative and Social Media Consultant. She enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. Hope you enjoy perusing the blog posts and in the process, get to know her a bit better. Enjoy your stay!

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My Website: www.dawnherring.net

You can check out my website: www.dawnherring.net. There you will find info on my writing services, my bio and journaling resources and my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Enjoy your stay!

#JournalChat Live on Twitter

#JournalChat Live is on the First Sunday of each month at 4 EST/1 PST on Twitter. Check out my new blog to sign up for Refresh Journal which will give you all the details!

Refresh Sessions Now Available!

If you desire to discover what Your Authentic Refreshment might be so you can enhance and benefit your life, you'll welcome to purchase a 30 minute Refresh Session with Dawn **by phone or Skype, initiating the discovery process toward Your Authentic Refreshment. (A 30 Minute Refresh Session is $75.)

PLEASE NOTE: REFRESH SESSIONS BY PHONE/SKYPE ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE; REFRESH SESSIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE BY AND THROUGH EMAIL.

My eBook: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

I'm so excited to share with you my new ebook, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

The Birthday Wall is my detailed, step-by-step instructional book that shows how to create a multi-dimensional, colorful visual collage to help celebrate your child's Birthday. As creator of this family tradition, I share how to research, plan, gather, create and display all the elements of your child's birthday wall which can help affirm, validate, and show appreciation for your child.

Follow this link which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!